Sticks and Stones
by bandgeek18
Summary: Dick was used to the kids at school calling him names. Sometimes, though, they went too far; and no one understood why. Well...almost no one. One-shot.


Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. DC does. Wally ran into the main room of Mount Justice and skidded to a halt. "Am I late?!"

A/N: WARNING: derogatory language and swearing. Thanks to my girlfriend for proofreading this for me.

Wally ran into the main room of Mount Justice and skidded to a halt. "Am I late?!"

"Normally yes, but you have managed to arrive on time today," Kaldur told him, looking mildly amused.

"Awesome! So what're we doing today? Mission? Training?"

"We'll tell you as soon as the whole team is here," Batman said, causing Kid Flash to jump.

"Geez Bats! Scare a guy why don't you?"

"Who's missing?" Artemis asked.

"Robin," Aqualad said automatically.

"Did he disappear again?"

"He has yet to show up at all."

Wally frowned, and so did Batman. That wasn't like Robin to be late. Especially since his mentor was Batman. So there was a small cause for concern. Not a second later though they heard the zeta tube announce his arrival. And a minute later Wally felt white hot fury burning through his veins. Lightning started crackling around his feet.

Robin had his arms crossed and he looked agitated. Everyone in the room stared at his forehead. Written across it, not completely hidden by his hair, in black marker was one word. Gypsy. "Stop. Staring," Robin growled.

"What happened?!" Wally demanded.

"Nothing. Trouble at school."

"Who did that?!"

"How did that happen?" Conner asked.

"Are you ok?" Aqualad asked.

M'gann looked at Artemis. "What is a...gypsy?"

Robin glared at them. "Just ignore it."

"But-" Wally began, but he took several steps back once he realized that he was on the receiving end of a mini bat glare.

"Drop it!" Robin was practically shaking in his fury. He'd never looked so much like his mentor than he did in that moment. "Move on. What're we doing?"

Black Canary cleared her throat and directed the team to the training exercise she's planned for them. Wally kept stealing glances over at Robin and couldn't help but notice that he couldn't meet Batman's eye.

Once they were back in the Bat Cave, Robin knew he wouldn't be able to escape Batman's questions. At least Bruce waited until he was out of costume. As soon as he was changed though, Bruce held him by the shoulders knelt down in front of him. The fury in his eyes betrayed all his anger. "Who did this?" he asked.

Dick swallowed. "No one."

"Dick tell me."

"It's..." He was going to say it's fine but it was so far from fine he couldn't even lie about it.

"How did this happen?"

"Some older boys, seniors I think, ambushed me when I was coming down the stairs. They grabbed me and pinned me to the ground. And...and one of them wrote...wrote that on my forehead."

Bruce's eyes traveled to the word. "Who?"

"I don't know them."

"Don't lie to me Dick. Tell me who it was." Unfortunately Alfred came down at that moment. He saw Dick and his mouth feel open in shock.

"Master Dick!" he cried. "What happened?"

Before Dick could say anything Bruce replied, "Bullies at school."

The butler's face became a mask of sympathy. That was why Dick had been quiet and kept his hand on his forehead when he got home from school. Dick though, wasn't in he mood for sympathy. "Can we just leave it alone?!" he demanded.

"Of course not! Dick these boys need to be punished! I'll go to the principal myself and-"

"No don't! You going in there will make everything worse! I can't have them thinking I'm a snitch! Or worse, that I have you fight my battles for me!"

"You really think a teacher won't ask about that?"

"I'll tell them what I'm telling you. I don't know who it was. Just...please. Leave it alone."

Bruce sighed. "Dick- Dick!" he called after his son as the young teen ran upstairs into the manner. He looked at Alfred. "Should I really not get involved?"

"I dare say Sir, I agree with young master Dick," Alfred replied sadly. "The children at his school already look down on him so."

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and let them torment my kid?!"

"If Master Dick is able to do so directly, than you, Master Bruce Sir, shall be able to as well."

Bruce clenched his teeth, then nodded. It was true he always told Dick not to fight back when he got picked on; for many good reasons. It must've been karma then that he felt so useless and powerless. He just wished there was something he could do to help.

Dick didn't stop running until he'd reached his bedroom. He slammed the door shut and threw himself down on his bed. He looked up at the wall; staring at the Flying Graysons poster hanging there. He buried his head in a pillow as hot, shame-filled tears slipped down his face. It was bad enough that Bruce and Alfred had seen it... but the team?

God it was humiliating! But not as humiliating as it would be to go to school tomorrow. Everyone was going to laugh at him. Like some huge joke that he wasn't in on. Because he was the joke! He distantly heard someone knocking on his door. "Go away!" he shouted, throwing something at the door. He pulled a pillow over his head. 'Why me?'

The next morning Bruce eyed Dick carefully as the teen picked at his breakfast. Alfred approached the table, carrying concealer. "Master Dick," he said, placing it on the table. "If you would please look at me-"

"No." Bruce and Alfred looked at him.

"Dick-" Bruce began, but a glare from his young ward cut him off.

"No."

"Master Dick, covering it up will give you a certain... confidence-"

"They know it's there!" he threw his fork down on his plate. "It's not like with bruises! If I cover this up they'll know I'm wearing make up! It'll just give them something else to use against me!" He pushed his chair back and stomped off to get his backpack.

Normally Bruce would scold Dick for yelling like that, but given the circumstances he decided to let it slide. He sighed rubbed his forehead. "Why are teenagers so..."

"Cruel, Sir?" Alfred said, handing him a travel mug with coffee in it.

"Yes. I just don't understand."

"With all do respect Sir, you never will. Neither of us has been in Master Dick's situation. We've never been expected to try and blend into a world that doesn't want us there."

"I just don't know how to help him."

"Unfortunately neither do I Sir."

School was about as miserable as Dick predicted it would be. Everytime he turned his back he could hear people snickering. It didn't help that Babs kept giving him looks of pity. He hated pity. Always had. He desperately wished he could wear a bandana to cover it, but they were against the dress code. The teachers didn't ask, but they all gave him curious looks. He could've sworn that he heard one covering a laugh. 'Glad my pain is amusing to everyone,' he thought bitterly as he sat down. He did he best to focus on his work, but honestly all he could hear was the laughing. The whispers. He usually didn't let people get under his skin, but it was hard to ignore everyone staring and pointing. He practically leapt out of his seat after the final bell. He was the first one out of the gates and quickly let himself into the car. He didn't say anything on the ride home. He simply sat with his arms crossed and his head down. Every second he was outside his bedroom was more and more humiliating.

To make it worse he went down to the Bat Cave that night, only to find out that he wasn't allowed on patrol. Something about the word making Robin to identifiable with Dick Grayson. So he spent the night in his bedroom trying to do his homework. He got several texts from Wally, but ignored them. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Not going to Mount Justice was bearable since he didn't want them to see his forehead anyways. Once was more than enough. When he wasn't doing homework, he laid back on his bed, staring at the Flying Grayons poster on his wall. Alfred knocked a couple of times with offers of cocoa and cookies, but Dick ignored him. Food, even Alfred's, wasn't going to get rid of shame that filled him. Shame for letting this happen in the fist place. Shame for the truth it spelled out for everyone. This was how he passed his days. Going to school, training in the gym, and locking himself in his bedroom. He barely said a word to Bruce and Alfred and ignored Wally's nearly constant calls and texts. He kept his head down at school, praying the word would fade soon.

It was such a haze that he had to blink twice when he left the school gates. It wasn't Alfred waiting for him. It was Roy. Leaning against his motorcycle, grinning. "Hey Dick," he said as the younger teen approached.

"What're you doing here?" Dick asked, aware of people eyeing them curiously.

Roy simply held out a helmet. "I'm here to spring you. Come on."

Dick smiled for the first time in days and grabbed the helmet. He put it on and got on the bike behind Roy. The two of them drove off, away from Gotham Academy. They wove their way through the streets of Gotham, but Dick soon became confused. They weren't heading towards Wayne Manor. In fact they were heading for one of the bridges leading out of the city. "Roy! Roy!"

"What?!"

"Why are we leaving Gotham?!"

"To get some air!"

"But Bruce-"

"Don't worry, I left him a note!"

Dick smiled, knowing he'd still probably be in trouble when he got home. But it'd be worth it to have some fun with Roy. So he relaxed and held on as they drove away from civilization. He didn't keep track of how far they drove or where they drove. Bruce had a tracker hidden somewhere in his uniform and his bag; plus the utility belt he kept hidden his bag. So if they needed help, he wasn't worried. Eventually, Roy took what seemed like a random exit off the highway and drove them towards the woods. By the time he stopped they were in a dirt parking lot. They climbed off and he looked around. "Where are we?"

"I don't really know. Somewhere. No people though."

"Yeah."

"Come on, let's walk."

Dick left his helmet on the bike as he followed Roy into the woods. The two of them walked silently for a few minutes, having no need to follow any path. Eventually though, Dick had to ask what was bothering him. "Did Bruce tell you to come talk to me?"

"No Wally did. Well, actually he told me that you were ignoring him and he was worried. At least that's what I think he said. He was talking pretty fast." Dick sighed. Of course Wally called Roy. Although it was impressive that Roy had come at all. "So, I heard you've been having a hard time at school."

Dick laughed bitterly. "Hard time. That's putting it mildly." He pointed to his forehead.

Roy nodded. "I noticed that. People have a way with words, don't they?" Dick didn't say anything. "You know, when I was in high school, everyone at Star Academy believed a rumor that was going around about me."

"Oh?'

Roy nodded, almost grimacing at the memories. "They said that Oliver's reasons for taking me in were…less than noble."

"Charity case? I've heard that one."

"Not exactly. Let's just say someone with his looks and status has never had a relationship and suddenly takes in a teen ward after living alone for years? People will talk. And unfortunately, the kids at my school made sure I knew why they thought I was living there. What really sucked was that Ollie had the same rules Bruce did about fighting. He told me to just ignore them. And I did. Mostly. A few people got hurt, but no one we should care about. Except one day they went too far. A group of boys ambushed me. They wrote 'Fuck Boy' all over me and my stuff. My face, my uniform, my bag, binders, textbooks. Even my locker."

"Really?"

"Mhm. I don't think I've ever seen Ollie so pissed. He wanted to give those kids, their parents, and the headmaster a piece of his mind."

"So does Bruce."

"I didn't let him of course. God, I would've died of embarrassment if he'd gone in there. It was still humiliating to go to school everyday with that written on my face."

"How'd you get through?"

"Kept my head down and waited for it to fade."

"Oh." It took Dick a minute to process that.

"I get it Dick." Dick looked up at Roy. "It sucks. But those guys…they don't understand us. They don't know what it's like to lose everything and then gain so many things in a short amount of time."

"Ignorance is no excuse."

"I know. But people will think what they want to think. People could think what they wanted about the relationship between me and Oliver, but nothing I said would change their minds. Same goes for you."

"That doesn't help."

"I know. Just remember you're not alone. I get it."

Dick nodded, because Roy did. He truly knew what Dick felt. He stopped walking and Roy looked back at him. "Thanks Roy."

"Anytime. No matter what's going on between me and the League."

Dick smiled, "I'll remember that."

"Come on, I should get you back before Bruce kills me."

"He's already going to kill you."

"Yeah I know. But it was worth it."

•-

Later that night Roy was doing his patrol in Seattle when an all too familiar figure stepped out from behind a building. He sighed and eased back the bow string. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Just…seeing how you're doing," Green Arrow replied.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"I know you can."

"What're you doing here?"

"Batman told me you kidnapped Robin for a few hours."

Red Arrow shrugged. "He came back in one piece."

"So he did. Funny thing though, when he got back, Batman said it was the first time he'd seen the bird smile in days. Or talk."

"Is there a point to this? I'm kind of busy."

"Right, sorry. I'll let you get back to work." Red Arrow nodded and turned around. "And Red Arrow? I'm proud of you."

Red Arrow stopped in his tracks and spun around, but Green Arrow was gone. He huffed and walked away. "Thanks."


End file.
